[StBernard] Road Home Launches Web-Based Neighborhood Mapping Tool

[Westley Annis]

THE ROAD HOME LAUNCHES WEB-BASED NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES MAPPING TOOL

BATON ROUGE, La., August 27, 2007 - The Road Home program has launched a Web-based tool to provide homeowners with information on the businesses and institutions functioning in their neighborhoods, program officials announced today. 

WIMBY, short for "What's In My Back Yard," shows the general rebuilding progress in a neighborhood including open facilities, available services and The Road Home options selected within an area. WIMBY maps provide an important resource for Road Home applicants to view the recovery progress in their neighborhood. WIMBY reports provide printable, detailed summaries of open and closed facilities in an area. WIMBY is available to the public by visiting www.road2la.org <http://www.road2la.org> .

"WIMBY is a dynamic resource designed to help applicants find facilities in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina or Rita," said Michael Taylor, director of the Disaster Recovery Unit, Office of Community Development. "Applicants can use the mapping function to visualize how the recovery is progressing in their neighborhoods, download a report for a comprehensive list of names and addresses and use the information when they select the Road Home option that best meets the needs of their families."

WIMBY was created by the Office of Community Development initially for use in Road Home Housing Assistance Centers. It is now being made available to the general public in partnership with the Louisiana Recovery Authority and in coordination with LouisianaRebuilds.org to offer further assistance to Louisiana families who may be displaced to other parts of the country, as well as those who are starting to rebuild their homes in the affected areas.

"We know from recent studies that displaced homeowners are yearning for more information about the recovery of their neighborhoods. Our hope is that WIMBY will increase their sense of connection with home, provide them the information they need regarding the status of their neighborhood and ultimately hasten their return," said LRA Executive Director Andy Kopplin. "This is also a tool that can be used by local planning entities and neighborhood associations in their recovery efforts. These groups can find valuable information about their communities and can provide input back to WIMBY on the current status of local services."

It is critical that applicants complete their benefits selection form to move forward in The Road Home process. By noting which facilities have returned to their neighborhood, applicants should be able to better determine whether they will choose to rebuild or to sell their property.

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